WHITE SPOT SYNDROME VIRUS IN FROZEN SHRIMP SOLD AT MASSACHUSETTS SUPERMARKETS

Abstract One of the most damaging viral diseases affecting the shrimp aquaculture industry is white spot disease (WSD) caused by white spot virus (WSSV), which causes high morbidity and mortality rates in penaeid shrimp and other crustaceans. The rapid spread of WSSV within wild and cultured stocks of shrimp may be caused by unregulated processing, disposal of infected imported shrimp, or the use of contaminated broodstock. The risk of introducing this virus to cultured and wild shrimp and other native species of crustaceans in the United States warrants investigation. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of WSSV in frozen commodity shrimp sold at four stores in the Boston area belonging to different supermarket chains. Samples from two size classes were collected in two different batches a month apart. Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify a portion of the WSSV genome using a commercial PCR kit (ShrimpCare, DiagXotics). WSSV positive samples were visualized by electrophoresis and ...